[scythe]

I think it is interesting to ask about cognitive bias w.r.t. attitudes towards certain threats. Consider a bear. Neither a man nor a woman is likely to win a fight with a bear (though the man has a slightly better shot). Both men and women could probably learn to scare off most bears rather easily, and bear mace works the same for everyone. We might consider on this basis that the actual risk from bears is similar regardless of gender. But is it perceived that way? Is the comparative risk assessment accurate? And whose attitude is irrational - men, women, both or neither?

[dijit]

I don't think this is the reason.

I think it might be more to do with a woman coming across some weird men in the woods and being unable to lean on civilisation to keep the men from being psychologically or physically abusive.

The danger isn't nature. That's the same for men and women

(though you might argue a case that women are more susceptible to hypothermia... but I highly doubt anyone thinks about that).

This is going to be controversial but I think the reality is that society caters to women a bit more than men; so the woods and going back to nature, for men, is an escape. But for women (and speaking very generally) it's more a feeling of removing of safety and comfort.

[pessimizer]

> society caters to women a bit more than men

It's more that women constantly negotiate environments to keep the number of friendly men greater than the number of sketchy men, so they don't get raped and murdered.

In the woods, you get what you get. Even worse, both you and the man you run into know that if he rapes and murders you, he'll get away clean. She's got to rely on the stranger not wanting to rape and murder her, even if there are no consequences. I'd say you're safe with about 80% of men with that, but the other 20% would leave you in a shallow grave. With the kind of men or groups of men that wander around in isolated wilderness, I'd bet that you're moving into a 60%/40% expectation.

[pjerem]

Did I read correctly ? You barely estimate murderers and rappers to be 20% of the male population ? What are your sources for those figures ?